Baule Mask

The Baule are a people from Bouaké, Ivory Coast, they belong to the Akan group. Baule statuary (masks and statuettes) is very sought-after for its refinement.

There are Baule ancestor masks. Baule masks present the same characteristics as the statuary: elegant, finely carved and polished.

There are also Baule zoomorphic masks reminding the buffalo, the ram and the antelope. These masks are always worn by men. They are different from Baule ancestors’ portrait masks, because more conceptual and schematic, since they represent spirits.

Mask like this, where a source of inspiration for artist like Amedeo Modigliani.